Australia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary democracy
- CONSTITUTION
- July 9, 1900, in effect from January 1, 1901
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English common law
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Senate and House of Representatives
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- High Court, judges appointed by the Governor-General High Court of Australia, each of the 6 states and 2 territories and Norfolk Island have a Supreme Court. The High Court is the final court of appeal for territorial courts.
RELIGIONS
26% Catholics; 21% Anglicans; 21% other Christians; 1% minorities (including Aboriginals)
From the country
- JUNE 14, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. SINGAPORE PM STANDS FIRM ON DEATH PENALTY
the prime ministers of Singapore and Australia discussed their differences over Singapore's use of the death penalty.
- APRIL 27, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. FIVE AUSTRALIAN DRUG CONVICTS GET REDUCED SENTENCES, DEATH PENALTY UPHELD FOR RINGLEADERS
five young Australians jailed for life in Indonesia after being caught smuggling heroin from Bali have had their sentences cut to 20 years, but an appeal court upheld the death penalty on two ringleaders. The five were members of the so-called "Bali Nine"
- APRIL 27, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. LASRY REPEATS CALL FOR BLANKET APPROACH TO DEATH PENALTY
prominent Australian lawyer Lex Lasry, QC, called on the Australian government not to be selective in its opposition to the death penalty in its response to court cases overseas.
- APRIL 19, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL
an appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, upheld a death sentence for Trinh Huu, an Australian man of Vietnamese origin convicted of heroin trafficking.
- APRIL 3, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. GOVT LOBBIES CHINESE PREMIER ON DEATH PENALTY
the Australian Federal Government raised with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao the case of a man facing the death penalty in China over the murder of a Canberra university student.
- MARCH 30, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. PRIME MINISTER URGED TO OPPOSE DEATH PENALTY
Australia should publicly oppose the death penalty for terrorists if it expects to be taken seriously in its efforts to save Australians from death row, senior defence lawyer Lex Lasry said.
- MARCH 27, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. AFP BOSS OPPOSED TO DEATH PENALTY
Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty said he was personally opposed to the death penalty, despite his agency's role in the Bali Nine drug case. The AFP had faced continued criticism over allegations its officers could have arrested the
- MARCH 16, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. BALI NINE DUO APPEAL DEATH SENTENCES
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, two members of the Bali nine who had been sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia, lodged their appeals with the Denpasar District Court.
- MARCH 5, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. INDEPENDENT MP BACKS DEATH PENALTY
independent MP Peter Lewis called for the death penalty in Australia for people who committed murder to cover up their crimes, who murdered to "achieve their political ends" or for people who killed police officers.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. BALI NINE APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCES
Andrew Chan, 22, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, sentenced to death for trafficking heroin in the Indonesian resort island of Bali and seven others given life imprisonment for their involvement in the smuggling ring filed appeals in the Indonesian justice syste
- FEBRUARY 19, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. AFP UNDER FIRE OVER VIETNAM DRUG ARREST
Australian Federal Police were facing fresh controversy over their policy of giving information to foreign police in cases that could end in the death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. PRESIDENT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF TWO AUSTRALIANS
Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong commuted the death sentences imposed on two convicted Australian heroin traffickers to life imprisonment, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.